• Because maple is an organic material, the actual weight of each platform varies slightly. Every Mapleshade platform is planed down from rough-cut 2-1/4" and 4-1/2" maple to remove coarseness and imperfections from the sawmill. Typically this process yields a finished 2" or 4"thickness. But, because of variations in the rough-cut timber, the exact thickness can vary by 3/16".

Ordering Tips:

• Recommended for components up to 18-1/2" wide and 15-1/2" deep

• Use Isoblock 1s for up to 99 lb. load

• Use Isoblock 2s for up to 199 lb. load

• Two inch thick platforms make a satisfying improvement under every stereo component we've tried. Stepping up to a four inch thickness is a serious sonic upgrade, especially under turntables and tube gear.

Electrical currents (the music signals that drive your speakers) create unwanted vibrations inside every electronic component and speaker cabinet. These internal vibrations muddy the music signal much more significantly than external room vibrations do. Many hybrid isolation/coupling devices like Roller Blocks, IsoBearings, magnetic couplers, etc. purport to serve three essential functions —vibration transfer, vibration dissipation and external isolation—all in one nice, neat convenient footer. Unfortunately, these all-in-one devices serve none of their purported functions very well. That is to say, hybrid devices change the sound of your system and may even yield improvements in some areas, but with penalties in other areas, e.g better midrange detail but less warmth, increased treble clarity but more edginess, etc.

Mapleshade's Component Mounting System serves all three above functions, but using an ensemble of three different devices, each optimized for one and only one function:

• First, Heavyfeet are designed only to cleanly drain out of the component as much of its internal vibrational energy as possible. They do so more effectively and sound better than any competing footer at any price (and are exceeded only by our Triplepoints and Micropoints). Through long hours of listening experiments we have specifically optimized their shape, material, alloy, and mass to maximize the vibrations transfering out of the component and minimize vibrations transfering back into the component.

• Second, Mapleshade platforms (or SAMSON shelves) serve as the sink for, or receiver of, vibrational eneregy transferred out of the component by the Heavyfeet, a sink intended to dissipate as much of this energy as possible. But no vibration transfer-dissipation system, including Mapleshade's, is 100% efficient - which is why the resonant quality of our air-dried maple is a significant element in the good sound of our component mounting system. Inevitably, some small percentage of the vibrations transferred from the component reflects back into the gear. The waveform of these reflected vibrations is changed (that is, distorted) by the acoustical transmission properties of the material of the sink or platform. Each specific material introduces different waveform changes; thus, each material "colors" the sound of your system differently. Even low quality generic, kiln-dried wood typically yields more pleasing sound than metal, stone, glass, MDF, plywood and the myriad of highly damped composite platform materials on the market. Our listening experiments demonstrated thick, air-dried maple to be less colored and closer to the sound of our master tapes than any other platform material—audibly better than harder or softer or denser woods, and notably better than kiln-dried maple or maple butcher block.

• Third, Isoblocks serve to isolate the component and platform from reflected or external vibrations in the supporting shelf or floor. In this role they sound better than any of the myriad suspension systems we've tested: sand boxes, air bladders, sorbathane, Vibrapods, even megabuck megnetic suspensions or air suspensions. One exception: Mapleshade DOES NOT recommend using Isoblocks under speakers or speaker stands, as you'll notice if you peruse our speaker stand page. Because they let speakers rock slightly, Isoblocks produce somewhat muddier bass and softer image focus. Thus, under speakers and speaker stands we always recommend using brass footers. This is just one example of the attention to detail that has gone into the development of Mapleshade's deceptively simple-looking component mounting system. Our experience is that optimal mounting for electronics is different than for speakers; carefully scutinize any product that does not acknowledge this distinction.

For order status and tracking please click here to log-in to your account. Then select the "View Your Order History" link, choose an order number, and scroll down to the "Tracking Information" field. For technical questions about our products and system upgrade advice, please email info@mapleshadestore.com or call (410)867-7543.